Injured Sacramento CHP Officer Identified, Condition Updated

SACRAMENTO, CA- A CHP officer is in critical but stable condition after he was hit by a vehicle on I-80 in Sacramento Thursday afternoon. Michael Ericson, 17-year CHP veteran motor cop, has been identified as the victim who sustained major injuries after a suspect backed over him on the shoulder of the highway, according to KCRA news.

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CHP Officer Hit on I-80, Suspect Detained in Fairfield: More Details Released

KCRA reports, the CHP motorcycle officer was stopped behind the suspect’s vehicle on the freeway shoulder near Madison Avenue around 1:20 p.m., when the suspect hit him.

Officials believe the hit-and-run crash an intentional act because it appeared that the driver backed over the officer at least one time before leaving the scene; it is unknown how many times the officer was hit, according to KCRA.

The suspect reportedly fled the scene of the crash heading westbound on I-80, before ditching his pickup truck and stealing an unlocked truck with keys in it from a construction site. From there, KCRA reports that Solano law enforcement officers stopped the suspect’s vehicle in Fairfield by deploying tack strips.

Westbound lanes were fully reopened around 6:20 p.m. following investigations with traffic reportedly backed-up into Roseville.

Photo credit Lindsay Crombie